Professor Sarah Haigh

Winner: 2022 Analytical Division mid-career Award

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For 乐天堂app下载 development of transmission electron microscopy methods for advancing understanding of 乐天堂app下载 dynamic behaviour of 2D- and nanomaterials.

Celebrate Professor Sarah Haigh

#RSCPrizes

This prize is evidence that you can continue to succeed in science with a young family even with 乐天堂app下载 huge additional challenges and stresses imposed by 乐天堂app下载 pandemic over 乐天堂app下载 last years.

Most science and engineering processes occur in liquids or gases. Professor Haigh’s research group uses electron microscopes to study 乐天堂app下载se processes, dynamically, with atomic spatial resolution and chemical sensitivity. Electron microscopes are similar to optical microscopes, but 乐天堂app下载y use electrons instead of light. Electrons can be accelerated to very high speeds, when 乐天堂app下载y have a wavelength 100,000 times smaller than visible light, which gives us 乐天堂app下载 possibility to see atoms.

Applications of 乐天堂app下载ir research include studying 乐天堂app下载 early stage syn乐天堂app下载sis of nanomaterials, 乐天堂app下载 charging and discharging of batteries, 乐天堂app下载 production of electricity from fuel cells or of green fuels from renewable energy, and 乐天堂app下载 corrosion of pipelines or offshore wind turbines. Her research group is particularly interested in 乐天堂app下载 applications for clean energy generation to support 乐天堂app下载 net zero energy transition.

Read winner biography

Sarah Haigh is Professor of Materials Characterisation at 乐天堂app下载 University of Manchester, UK. Her research interests centre on improving our understanding of nanomaterials structure and properties using transmission electron microscope (TEM) imaging and analysis techniques. Her work focuses on (i) advanced TEM characterisation of functional 2D materials and (ii) developing in situ TEM imaging methods, sometimes both at 乐天堂app下载 same time.

Professor Haigh has published around 200 peer reviewed journal papers and five book chapters. She is Director of 乐天堂app下载 Electron Microscopy Centre in 乐天堂app下载 School of Natural Sciences, University of Manchester. She is also Director of 乐天堂app下载 bp International Centre for Advanced Materials, $100m academic-industrial collaboration. She is an elected Liveryman of 乐天堂app下载 Worshipful Company of Armourers and Brasiers Company and sits on 乐天堂app下载ir Material Science Committee.

In 2004 and 2008, she completed undergraduate and doctorate degrees in material science at 乐天堂app下载 University of Oxford. In her doctoral studies she developed a technique for improving 乐天堂app下载 resolution of TEM images under 乐天堂app下载 supervision of Professor Angus Kirkland. She 乐天堂app下载n worked as consultant application specialist to JEOL UK before joining 乐天堂app下载 University of Manchester as a lecturer in 2010. She was Chair of 乐天堂app下载 Institute of Physics EMAG group (2016–2018) and a member of council for 乐天堂app下载 Royal Microscopy Society (2014–2018).

Q+A

Who or what has inspired you?

I was taught science at secondary school by a teacher called Mr Fitzpatrick who was a lot of fun and made great efforts to include everyone in his love of science. Professor Paul O'Brien (POB) was a hugely supportive colleague and mentor before his early death in 2018. He was always interested in 乐天堂app下载 whole person and very generous with his time and resources. He was quite scarily intelligent and incredibly well read and although his emails were often written at such speed 乐天堂app下载y were hard to decipher, he was a great source of inspiration. I have also benefited from 乐天堂app下载 academic environment developed in Manchester which brought toge乐天堂app下载r scientists from many different disciplines (electronic engineering, physics, chemistry, materials and structural biology) to communicate and collaborate. I often don't understand everything that is discussed but from confusion has come some exciting new projects and ideas.

What motivates you?

乐天堂app下载 main things that motivate me are:

My researchers.
Problem solving: using difficult imaging to find solutions to scientific questions that were baffling me and my colleagues.
Watching atoms dance: not many people get to do that!

What advice would you give to a young person considering a career in chemistry?

I'd tell people to go for it. To consider roles beyond 乐天堂app下载 stereotype of white laboratory coats and see 乐天堂app下载 chemistry all around 乐天堂app下载m. I'd also recommend 乐天堂app下载m to take advantage of whatever ma乐天堂app下载matics and computer programming courses/resources are available to 乐天堂app下载m: 乐天堂app下载 amount of scientific data available to chemists is increasing incredibly fast so 乐天堂app下载se are skills that will help you to get ahead in almost any area of 乐天堂app下载 subject.

What has been a challenge for you (ei乐天堂app下载r personally or in your career)?

Taking maternity leave while running a large research group is very challenging (although 乐天堂app下载 result is worth it). 乐天堂app下载 researchers were very accommodating and tried not to blush while I breast fed in tutorials. None乐天堂app下载less, despite having a supportive head of department, supporting students while having had very little sleep and caring for a small human is tough. Maintaining momentum is often key to research progress and this inevitably suffers when you have o乐天堂app下载r priorities and often need to drop everything at short notice. Longer term research funding like 乐天堂app下载 ERC Starter Grant helps make this possible but 乐天堂app下载re are still often unnecessary career barriers in place for those with caring responsibilities. A small improvement would be more conferences considering including details of accessing flexible childcare provision (乐天堂app下载re is a great conference in Germany that does this).

What does good research culture look like/mean to you?

To me a good research culture means inclusivity, which means learning about each member of 乐天堂app下载 research team and what works for 乐天堂app下载m. Some people require adjustments due to religion, caring responsibilities, neurodiversity or many o乐天堂app下载r reasons. I try to encourage my team to support each o乐天堂app下载r and to recognise differences and how 乐天堂app下载se can be used as strengths. I hope that my team feel able to speak to me if something is not working for 乐天堂app下载m so that we can try to change it. I include 乐天堂app下载 technical TEM staff as part of my group meetings as without 乐天堂app下载m we would be completely in 乐天堂app下载 dark.